Editorial: Changes necessary, but bureaucracy is tough to overcome

The screams of agony are always loudest when trampling on the toes of bureaucracy.

It doesn’t matter if the pain is necessary to force movement in an otherwise stationary beast.

That will make Gov. Bruce Rauner’s decision to create a council to review all agency rules and regulations an interesting power-play to watch.

As crucial as this process is if Illinois is going to see business and economic growth in the future, it’s the equivalent of wearing stiletto heels while dancing with a partner — massive regulation — who’s prone to not following a lead very well.

We hope that doesn’t slow the new Illinois Competitiveness Council.

The council will consist of someone from each of the regulatory agencies in the state. The group is being tasked with ensuring regulations are up to date and, more importantly, relevant. It will also ensure the rules are clear and easy to understand and search for ways to reduce the burden on people and businesses.

Over the next decade, it is hoped the changes this group makes will save a collective $250 million in license fees and about four million pages of paperwork. Right now, council chairwoman U-Jung Choe says, the state is awash in “a patchwork of duplicative, contradictory and outdated regulations.”

Other states have done this in the past and found the end result was worth the squabbling over sometimes-immovable bureaucracy. Neighboring Indiana and Kentucky are among those that have tried to actually make it easier for businesses to thrive — particularly small business and those owned by minorities because they are often disproportionately hit.

Considering Illinois has more than a million active licenses covering more than 200 professions and business, from nail salons to amusement attractions, there can be a labyrinth of red tape to maneuver.

“Clearing out red tape liberates everyone — teachers, doctors, small businesses and public servants,” says Philip Howard, founder of the nonpartisan reform group Common Good. “It’s hard to compete in a fast-moving world when hacking through a bureaucratic jungle. Modernizing regulation will make government better and Illinois more competitive.”

Part of the process will include the chance for people to speak out about what needs to change if Illinois is going to avoid losing businesses and professionals to other states. Comments can be submitted at illinois.gov/cut.

“For years, Illinois has added layers and layers of burdensome rules and regulations to a never-ending bureaucracy,” Rauner said. “It’s an endless line of red tape that creates a barrier for small businesses and entrepreneurs. By cutting the red tape, we are creating an environment where they can succeed.”

It will be interesting to see this unfold against the backdrop of political friction that already rules so much of state government.

But the change is necessary, even if a few toes get stepped on along the way.